History has been made. The UC Irvine Anteaters will make their first ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament after winning the Big West tournament title. Their first appearance could be a brief one, though, as they face the fourth-seeded Louisville Cardinals.
There’s plenty more to be excited about in the Big Dance. Check out our complete previews for Georgetown vs. Eastern Washington and SMU vs. UCLA.
[sc:MarchMadness ]March Madness No. 4 Louisville Cardinals vs. No. 13 UC Irvine Anteaters Preview
Where: Key Arena, Seattle
When: Friday, March 20, 4:10 PM ET
Line: Louisville Cardinals (-8) vs. UC Irvine Anteaters (+8); total 124.5 – view all March Madness lines
Betting on the Louisville Cardinals
The Louisville Cardinals ended their regular season with a bang, upsetting high-ranking Virginia 59-57 at home. But they followed that up with an early exit in the ACC tournament, losing to North Carolina 70-60 in the quarterfinals.
[sc:NCAAB240banner ]Despite the loss, the Cardinals are one of the teams to beat at the Big Dance. Their defense is unforgiving, allowing just 59.5 points per game (ranked 22nd in the nation). The Cardinals can rob their opponents of precious scoring opportunities with some big blocks (5.5 per game) and steals (8.3 per game).
Leading scorer Terry Rozier (17.1 points per game) also happens to be one of Louisville’s stoutest defenders. He’s averaging two steals per game this season. Rozier is averaging about three steals per game in his last five contests. But he hasn’t shot well at all, hitting just 33 percent from the field in those games.
To get Rozier free to take open shots, the Cardinals need imposing big man Montrezl Harrell to threaten in the paint. Harrell is averaging 15.7 points on 57 percent shooting and 9.5 rebounds this season. He’s on quite a run heading into the tournament, with double-doubles in each of his last three games.
But Harrell could run into some problems against UC Irvine’s towering forwards, who are capable of blocking his shots.
The Cardinals are 3-7-2 ATS in non-conference games this season.
Betting on the UC Irvine Anteaters
UC Irvine fended off Hawaii 67-58 in the Big West tournament finals, which ensured the Anteaters their first ever NCAA Tournament appearance.
The Anteaters have the size that could cause Louisville problems. Their defense is geared to dare opponents to challenge 7’2” Ioannis Dimakopoulos, 6’8” Will Davis or 7’6” Mamadou Ndiaye inside the paint. The three are each averaging about one block per game. This type of approach has led UC Irvine to have one of the stringiest shooting defenses this season (40 percent, 36th in the nation).
UC Irvine’s big men can score as well. Davis leads the team in scoring, averaging 12.9 points on 54 percent shooting this season. Ndiaye is even more of a sure shot, averaging 10.4 points on 63 percent shooting. Having these two dominate on both sides of the court could throw off Louisville’s game of splitting the offense between Harrell and Rozier.
The Anteaters’ guards also don’t shy away from the spotlight. Luke Nelson and Alex Young are both averaging about 10 points per game this season. They’re also pretty crafty on defense each averaging a steal per game this season. UC Irvine’s top guards could exploit Rozier’s 2.2 turnovers per game.
UC Irvine is 5-2 ATS in its last seven games as an underdog.
Writer’s Prediction
The upset bells are ringing. UC Irvine shocks the Cardinals for a big win. The moneyline gives you plenty of value for your bet at +380. But if you want to play it safe then take them on the spread at +8.
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